Combination bed and lounge



March 1965 T. s. ZIEGENFUSS COMBINATION BED AND LOUNGE Filed Jan. 3, 1963 INVENTOR. ikl/MAWS. z/'aiA/iuss BMW United States Patent 3,171,139 COINATION BED AND LOUNGE Truman S. Ziegenfuss, 6940 Los Tilos Road, Los Angeles, Calif.

Filed Jan. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 249,249 6 Claims. (Cl. -53) This invention relates generally to household furniture such as beds and lounges, and more particularly to a combination bed-lounge structure readily convertible from day-time use to a lounge to nighttime use as a bed.

Modern living accommodations, particularly hotels and apartments, frequently provide rooms which are furnished for day-time use as a sitting room or living room, and night-time use as a bedroom. In the furnture of such rooms, the bed usually serves for sleeping purposes at night, and as a lounge for reading, television viewing, and the like during the day-time. It is desirable that such bed-lounges be easily and quickly convertible from one function to the other. It is also desirable that such furniture have a neat, utilitarian appearance, irrespective of the particular position, i.e., sleeping or lounging, in which it may be placed.

Structure hitherto provided for the purpose have had several notable defects. First, it has been usual practice to construct such pieces of furniture with loose parts such as bolsters and the like which must be removed and stored under the bed or elsewhere during one type of use, -i.e., day-time or night-time use.

Another disadvantage of such prior structures has been the fact that they often required rather vigorous or complicated mechanical adjustment, and thus could be converted from one use to the other only by adults with a fair degree of mechanical aptitude.

Still another disadvantage of previous structures of the class described has been the fact that the conversion from one purpose to another necessitated moving the main bed structure from one position to another, thus making it necessary to leave a clear space surrounding the bed to permit such movement-a furniture arrangement not always convenient for small apartment and hotel rooms.

Bearing in mind the foregoing difiiculties encountered in previous structures of this type, it is a major object of the present invention to provide a simple convertible bed-lounge structure in which the movement of a single relatively light and easily moved part is all that is required to convert the unit from one condition to the other, or vice versa.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure of the type described which presents a neat and fully finished appearance, irrespective of the position into which the structure has been adjusted.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a structure of the class described which does not require the removal and storage of separate pieces, such as bolsters or the like, to convert the unitg for night-time use.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a structure of the class described which includes within it a storage space for storage of pillows and the like out of sight during day-time use.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a unit of the class described which may be assembled either as a freestanding unit or alternatively as a wall-mounted unit.

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a structure of the class described which may be readily adapted to already existing bed frames requiring only the modification or replacement of the headboard portion of the bed.

The foregoing and additional objects and advantages ice of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, considered in connection with the accompaying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, showing the illustrated bed-lounge in day-time position;

FiGURE 2 is a similar view of the structure shown in FIGURE 1, but with the unit shown in night-time or sleeping position;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational, enlarged, sectioned View of the structure shown in FIGURE 1, taken on the line 33 therein;

FIGURE 4 is an elevational, partially sectioned view taken on the line 4-4 in FIGURE 2,-

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view taken on the line 55 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a horizontal sectional view of a portion of the structure shown in FIGURE 4, taken on the line 6--6 therein; and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary view, similar to FIGURE 4, illustrating an alternative wall-mounted embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings, a conventional bed frame with conventional springs and mattress is indicated generally by the reference character it). Secured to the head end of the bed are the usual upright stanchions or bedposts 9, to the upper ends of which may be secured a conventional transverse headboard 27.

In the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, the headboard 27 secured to the upright stanchions 9 is augmented with a backrest 11, mounted on a hinge structure or linkage 16 so as to be movable from the position shown in FIGURE 1, wherein it is adapted for day-time use as a backrest, to the position shown in FIG- URE 2, exposing the bed for night-time use. In the latter position the upswung backrest 11 is, in effect, an upward extension of the headboard 27.

The backrest 11 is a generally hollow, wedge-shaped structure, having an inclined back-supporting panel 12 which may be upholstered as indicated at 13, and having a pair of depending end members 14- and 15, each of which is hollow to receive within it portions of the hinged supporting structure 16, to be described.

The wedge shaped space within the backrest 11 is sufiiciently large to contain conventional pillows as shown at 8 in FIGURE 2. Thus the bed may be made up with the top portion of the spread partly turned down and be quickly placed in condition for night-time use by simply raising the backrest exposing the pillows.

One of the advantages of the present structure is that when the backrest 11 is raised to the position shown in FIGURE 2, it is supported in this position in a condition of equilibrium so that it will not be inadvertently tipped forward to fall back to the position shown in FIGURE 1. To accomplish the above-described stability in the night-time position, a double hinged linkage 16 is employed to interconnect the backrest-headboard structure 11 and the headboard 27.

As will be described in more detail, the arrangement of the linkage 16 is such that the pivot points 23, about which the structure 11 swings from its position in FIG- URE 1 to that of FIGURE 2, are arranged to swing outwardly and be supported in cantilever fashion a substantial distance from the headboard 27. Thus, the cenvter of gravity of the backrest 11 in night-time position is of the bed to a position closer to a plane of the headboard 27 as shown in FIGURE 3, when the backrestheadboard structure 11 is lowered to its day-time position.

This permits the entire structure 11 to be pushed up close to the head of the bed.

Turning now to a more detailed description of the hinge structure 16, it will be seen to include a pair of pivoted arms or links 17, rigidly interconnected by a transverse bar 13. The purpose of the transverse member 18 is to synchronize the swinging or" the arms 17,

thus to coordinate the movement of the two ends of the backrest 11.

The arms 17 are each pivotally secured, as by rivetlike pivot pins 24 adjacent their proximal ends to horizontally projecting brackets which in turn are rigidly secured to the headboard 27 as by wood screws 28. The

proximal ends of the arms 17 project downwardly and inwardly from the pivot pins 24 and the aforementioned transverse interconnecting bar 155 is thus located below the lower edges of the brackets 29 in position to impinge against the same when the arms 17 are swung outwardly. Thus, as can be seen in FlGURES 4 and 7 the bar 18 serves as a stop limiting the outward swinging movement of the arms 17. In the thus limited position, the arms 1''] and the brackets 29 lock together to form in effect rigid cantilever suspension for the pivot bolts 23 located at the distal ends of the arms 17.

As previously mentioned, the end members 14 and 15' of the backrest 11 are hollow to receive parts of the hinge structure 16. This is accomplished by constructing each of the ends 14 and 15 of two spaced apart panels 21 and 22, the spacing between the panels being sufficient to receive therebetween, the hinge arm 17, the outer end of the bracket 20, and the pivot pin 24- which interconnects these two parts.

The space between the panels 21-22 is filled along the lower and back edges (when in the FEGURE 3 position) by spacers 3t) and 31, the spacer 31 near the back edge being located inwardly as so to expose a slot along the back edge as indicated at 32 through which the hinge structure can extend into the space between the panels 21-22. As shown in FIGURE 6, the pivot bolts 23 that attach the respective end pieces to the arms ll7 pass through a pair of spacer blocks 19 and also through aligned apertures in the panels 2ll-22 and in the distal ends of the respective arms 17.

The slots 32 in the back edges of the end members 14 and 15 extend clear to the top of the backrest (see FIGURE 1) so that when the backrest is raised to the position shown in FIGURE 2, the arms 17 may extend into the inter-panel space.

The upwardly swinging movement of the backrest 11 is limited by the ends of the slots 32 which engage the upper edges of the arms 17 when the panel 12 passes slightly past a vertical position. Thus the backrest is stably supported in its day-time position, its center of gravity being located above a point closer to the head of the bed than the axis of the pivots 23.

To minimize the extent to which the slot 3-2 must extend into the top surface, the positioning of the bar 18 is such that the arms 17 are locked in an upwardly sloping position (see FIGURES 4 and 7) when swung outwardly. This arrangement also facilitates the buckling of the arms 17 upwardly and inwardly to the position shown in FIGURES 1 and 3.

It will be noted that when the backrest has been pushed to its limiting position for daytime use (FIGURES 1 and 3), the arms 17 are tilted slightly inwardly, i.e., toward the headboard 2'7. This stabilizes the structure in this position since there is some resistance to outwardly swinging movement of the arms due to the weight of the backrest supported on the pivot bolts 23. This resistance is enough to retain the backrest in the day-time position and prevent accidental displacement, but may be easily overcome by pulling outwardly (toward the foot of the bed) on the backrest and at the same time swinging it upwardly into the position shown in FIGURE 2.

The modification shown in FIGURE 7 is, in all respects, the same as the form shown in FIGURES 1 through 6, except that the headboard 27 is secured as by bolts 34 directly to a vertical wall, thus providing an arrangement usable with a simple, conventional boxspring and mattress bed or couch 36 having no headboard. In this embodiment the bed 36 is normally placed with its head end adjacent the backrest 12 as shown in FIG- URE 7 but may be moved away from the wall to facilitate making up the bed.

While the forms of the invention shown and described above are fully capable of achieving the purposes and providing the advantages of the invention, they are 6&- pable of some modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. For that reason, I do not mean to be limited to the exact forms shown and described, but rather to the scope of the invention as delineated in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A dual purpose headboard-backrest attachment adapted for mounting above a bed adjacent the head end comprising in combination:

racket means adapted to be secured in fixed position above the head end of a bed;

a pair of parallel arms each hinged adjacent a proxi mal end thereof to said bracket means for swinging movement in a vertical plane between a substantially horizontal position parallel to the longitudinal axis of said bed, and a substantially Vertical position;

stop means on said arms adjacent proximal ends thereof and engageable with said bracket means to limit said arms in said substantially horizontal position and form a cantilever extension from said bracket;

bearing means formed adjacent the distal extremities of said arms and providing pivot bearings having a common transverse horizontal axis above said bed near the head;

a brackrest structure including a panel selectively positioned across a head-adjacent portion of said bed and inclined upwardly toward the head;

pivot means connecting said backrest structure and pivot bearing to permit said structure, with said arms in said substantially horizontal position, to be swung upwardly about said pivot bearing and toward the head of said bed to uncover said head-adjacent portion of said bed;

and abutment means arresting the swinging of said backrest structure with said panel substantially vertical but sli htly inclined toward the head of said bed.

2. The construction of claim 1 further characterized by having means formed at the lateral edges of said panel to at least partially enclose said arms during the swinging of said backrest structure as aforesaid.

3. A dual purpose headboard-backrest attachment adapted for mounting above a bed adjacent the head end comprising in combination:

bracket means adapted to be secured in fixed position above the head end of a bed;

bearing means formed in said bracket means and providing a pivot bearing having a transverse horizontal axis near the head of said bed;

a backrest having a panel selectively positioned for daytime use across a head-adjacent portion of said bed and inclined upwardly to a transverse head edge spaced above said bracket means;

a pair of generally triangular pendant end pieces secured to the lateral edges of said panel and enclosing a wedge shaped space under said panel;

elongate interconnecting means having a pivotal connection at a proximal end, to said bearing means and a second pivotal connection at a distal end to said backrest adjacent and slightly below said transverse head edge thereof, said interconnecting means being in a substantially upright position when said backrest is positioned for daytime use as aforesaid, and being swingable outwardly and downwardly to a cantilever-locked position to permit said connection to a night-tirne position wherein said panel is substantially upright;

and abutment means arresting the swinging of said backrest in said night-time position wherein its center of gravity lies above a point intermediate said second pivot connection and the head of said bed whereby to stably support said backrest in said nighttime position.

4. A dual purpose headboard-backrest attachment adapted for mounting above a bed adjacent the head end comprising in combination:

bracket means adapted to be secured in fixed position above the head end of a bed;

bearing means formed in said bracket means and providing a pivot bearing having a transverse horizontal axis near the head of said bed;

a backrest panel selectively positioned for day-time use across a head-adjacent portion of said bed and inclined upwardly to a transverse head edge spaced above said bracket means;

a pair of generally triangular pendant end closures secured to the lateral edges of said panel and enclosing a wedge shaped space under said panel, each closure comprising a closely spaced, parallel pair of vertical panels defining a narrow space therebetween which is closed except for a vertical slot at the head end of said narrow space when said panel is in said daytime use position;

and a pair of elongate interconnecting arms each extending through a respective slot into one of said narrow spaces and having a pivotal connection at a proximal end, to said bearing means and a second pivotal connection at a distal end to said vertical panels adjacent the transverse head edge of said backrest panel, said arms being substantially upright when said backrest is positioned for day-time use as aforesaid, and being swingable outwardly and downwardly to a cantilever-locked position to permit said backrest to be swung upwardly about said second pivot connection to a night-time position wherein said panel is substantially upright but slightly inclined toward the head of the bed.

5. A dual purpose headboard-backrest attachment adapted for mounting above a bed adjacent the head end comprising in combination:

a bracket means adapted to be secured in fixed position above the head end of a bed;

bearing means formed in said bracket means and providing a pivot bearing having a transverse horizontal axis near the head of said bed;

a backrest panel selectively positioned for day-time use across a head-adjacent portion of said bed and inclined upwardly to a transverse head edge spaced above said bracket means;

a pair of generally triangular pendant end closures secured to the lateral edges of said panel and enclosing a wedge shaped space under said panel, each closure comprising a closely spaced, parallel pair of vertical panels defining a narrow space therebetween which is closed except for a vertical slot at the head end of said narrow space when said panel is in said day-time use position;

a pair of elongate interconnecting arms each extending through a respective slot into one of said narrow spaces and having a pivotal connection at a proximal end, to said bearing means and a second pivotal connection at a distal end to said vertical panels adjacent the transverse head edge of said backrest panel, said arms being in a substantially vertical position when said backrest is positioned for day-time use as aforesaid, and said inter-connecting means being swingable outwardly and downwardly to a cantileverlocked position to permit said backrest to be swung upwardly about said second pivot connection to a night-time position wherein said panel is substantially upright;

and an abutment at the upper end of each slot to engage the respective arm therein and arrest the swinging of said backrest in a limiting night-time position wherein its center of gravity lies above a point intermediate said second pivot connection and the head of said bed whereby to stably support said backrest in said night-time position.

6. In combination with a bed of the type having a transverse headboard secured to the frame and positioned in a vertical plane across the head of the bed, a movable backrest attachment comprising:

a pair of brackets secured to the front surface of said headboard adjacent opposite ends thereof, each bracket having a bearing formed therein and said bearings being aligned on a transverse horizontal axis near the head of said bed;

a backrest panel selectively positioned for day-time use across a head-adjacent portion of said bed and inclined upwardly to a transverse head edge spaced above said bearing axis;

a pair of generally triangular pendant end closures secured to the lateral edges of said panel and enclosing a Wedge shaped space under said panel, each closure comprising a closely spaced, parallel pair of vertical panels defining a narrow space therebetween which is closed except for a vertical slot at the head end of said narrow space when said panel is in said day-time use position;

a pair of elongate interconnecting arms each extending through a respective slot into one of said narrow spaces and having a pivotal connection at a proximal end, to a respective bearing in one of said brackets and a second pivotal connection at a distal end to a respective pair of said vertical panels adjacent the transverse head edge of said backrest panel, said arms being in a substantially vertical position when said backrest is positioned for day-time use as aforesaid, and said interconnecting means being swingable outwardly and downwardly to a cantileverlocked position to permit said backrest to be swung upwardly about said second pivot connection to a night-time position wherein said panel is substantially vertical but slightly inclined toward the head of the bed;

and a transverse tie rod rigidly interconnecting said arms so that they swing in unison about said bearing axis.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DUAL PURPOSE HEADBOARD-BACKREST ATTACHMENT ADAPTED FOR MOUNTING ABOVE A BED ADJACENT THE HEAD END COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: BRACKET MEANS ADAPTED TO BE SECURED IN FIXED POSITION ABOVE THE HEAD END OF A BED; A PAIR OF PARALLEL ARMS EACH HINGED ADJACENT A PROXIMAL END THEREOF TO SAID BRACKET MEANS FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT IN A VERTICAL PLANE BETWEEN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID BED, AND A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL POSITION; STOP MEANS ON SAID ARMS ADJACENT PROXIMAL ENDS THEREOF AND ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID BRACKET MEANS TO LIMIT SAID ARMS IN SAID SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION AND FORM A CANTILEVER EXTENSION FROM SAID BRACKET; BEARING MEANS FORMED ADJACENT THE DISTAL EXTREMITIES OF SAID ARMS AND PROVIDING PIVOT BEARINGS HAVING A COMMON TRANSVERSE HORIZONTAL AXIS ABOVE SAID BED NEAR THE HEAD; A BRACKET STRUCTURE INCLUDING A PANEL SELECTIVELY POSITIONED ACROSS A HEAD-ADJACENT PORTION OF SAID BED AND INCLINED UPWARDLY TOWARD THE HEAD; PIVOT MEANS CONNECTING SAID BACKREST STRUCTURE AND PIVOT BEARING TO PERMIT SAID STRUCTURE, WITH SAID ARMS IN SAID SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION, TO BE SWUNG UPWARDLY ABOUT SAID PIVOT BEARING AND TOWARD THE HEAD OF SAID BED TO UNCOVER SAID HEAD-ADJACENT PORTION OF SAID BED; AND ABUTMENT MEANS ARRESTING THE SWINGING OF SAID BACKREST STRUCTURE WITH SAID PANEL SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL BUT SLIGHTLY INCLINED TOWARD THE HEAD OF SAID BED. 